Sutton Poyntz water supply museum, Dorset

Education visits to the water supply museum and pumping station at Sutton Poyntz are ideal for students in year four and above and usually focus one of two themes: Victorians or rivers, water and the environment.

Pupils visiting to find out more about the Victorians or a local history project can:

discover how the local water
supply was installed to prevent waterborne diseases and to meet the increased
demand of Weymouth after the arrival of the railway and the development of tourism

find out how water is treated and
supplied today

take part in a play about Dr
John Snow who identified the link between cholera and dirty water in 1854

use original documents to
research the history of the Sutton Poyntz water works site

tour the museum and
Victorian workshop and have the opportunity to have their photo taken in
Victorian costumes.

Pupils studying rivers, water and the environment will:

find out
how humans interact with the natural water cycle

measure
stream flow and calculate volumes of water flowing in the river Jordan

sample the river to
identify macro-invertebrates

be introduced to the concept of indicator
species for quickly assessing water quality

carry out a science
investigation to compare the water quality of river water, tap water and rain
water

walk to the spring source which supplies Weymouth.

Visits are hosted in the community room at Sutton Poyntz and student group sizes are limited to a maximum of 40
plus accompanying adults. Tours usually involve walking on steep slopes so
please discuss any mobility issues when arranging your visit.

To find out more information or to come on a pre-visit
check please email Duncan Forbes.

Facilities

These include:

museum with displays and artefacts covering 200 years of water history

natural history display

literature and field study equipment to use during the visit

outdoor work benches

disabled access and toilet (please ask for further details)

Address and directions

The site is situated in the village of Sutton Poyntz off the A353/A352 from Weymouth to Wareham. In the village, take the right hand fork and continue past the Springhead public house on your right. The museum is straight ahead, approximately 100 metres past the public house. Parking and a coach turning point are available.